Youth vs Experience on Welsh National final day

Former European Tour pro Garry Houston will be looking to ensure youth does not triumph over experience in the final round of the Welsh National PGA Championship at Radyr Golf Club.

Houston leads the way at the halfway point of the £10,000 Asbri-sponsored tournament after carding a three-under-par round of 67 on an historic occasion at the north Cardiff club – which hosted the very first staging of the tournament back in 1904.

Among the trio on his coattails is young third-year assistant Elliot Harding, who is looking to break the established order despite admitting his immediate priorities lie with completing the PGA’s Foundation Degree Programme and clocking up hours at his club, Milford Haven.

Those commitments restricted practice time in the run-up to the event, not that anyone would have guessed judging by his fine eagle at the par-five eighth which helped cement him in second position, one shot off the pace alongside ex-Tour pros Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) and defending champion Stephen Dodd.

The challenge now will be overhauling Houston, a veteran of five years on the European Tour who is determined to claim victory having missed out in a nail-biting play-off to former European Open winner Dodd 12 months ago at Royal St David’s.

“It would be really nice to win this event,” Houston said. “I’ve won other Welsh tournaments but never this one – it would mean a lot to me if I could do it.

“It’s funny because I wouldn’t have said the course here necessarily suits my style of play and it is tricky, so to be going in at three-under, I’m happy with that.

“The weather didn’t make life easy but there’s birdies to be had out there, that’s for sure, and I’ll do everything to ensure I’m up there challenging tomorrow.”

For Harding, the chance to compete at the top of the leaderboard came as a bit of a shock.

“I definitely didn’t expect that coming in today,” he admitted. “To be honest with you most of my time is spent at the club, teaching and working in the shop.

“I played in the Fourball event last week and felt that I had a good round in me, for that to come here is really nice – it shows that the practice is paying off.

“It’s amazing to be at the top of the leaderboard among lads who’ve got that sort of experience – I didn’t expect it.

“But I guess I just have to come in and do exactly the same as what I did today, and then we’ll see what happens.”

A further four players sit one shot further back on one-under-par, in what was a congested leaderboard in the Welsh capital.

Adam Constable (Cardiff Golf Club), Robert Jackson (Morriston), Toby Hunt (St Mellons) and Richard Brookman (Creigau) will all fancy their chances at making a charge at the top of the leaderboard on the final day.